1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to cutting devices and more particularly to an improved safe pumpkin cutter for use in creating Jack-O-Lanterns.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of devices have been used to cut openings in pumpkins to portray attractive faces for Halloween and other occasions. Most such devices comprise knives having thin blades with serrated edges. See, for example, those knives which are shown in U.S. Design Pat. Nos. 268,639 of Johannsen, 369,070 of Hahn and 375,876 of Allison wherein the novelty mainly lies in the configuration of the knife handles. However, such knives are dangerous to use and not very efficient because the blades are thin and it is difficult to apply sufficient cutting force without bending the blades.
Specialty cutters have also been devised to cut openings in pumpkins. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,885 of Albanese and U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,659 of Nauman. However, such cutters are usually expensive and inefficient and in many instances are also dangerous. The Nauman devices consist of a plurality of specially configured strips of metal or plastic which are of the cookie cutter type and are very short in length. In order to use the cutters, they must be hammered into the pumpkin and cannot be easily removed therefrom.
The Albanese device comprises an elongated housing bearing cutting edges and a detachable handle. The housing itself cannot be gripped so as to be able to dispense with the handle. This device is expensive. Moreover, the handle is shaped so that it cannot be hammered to push the housing into a particularly resistant pumpkin. Since the handle is of small size, the housing cannot easily be forced in various directions into a pumpkin.
Both of these devices use cutters which are especially configured to the different openings in the Jack-O-Lantern which each is to be used to create, thus increasing the cost of the complete kit and limiting the adaptability of the device. Accordingly, there remains a need for an inexpensive, durable and efficient pumpkin cutter which has improved safety and maneuverability. Preferably, the cutter should be easy to use for a variety of pumpkin cutting operations.